People who are not strong swimmers, and especially children, have a need for using flotation devices in order to participate in swimming, or other water-related activities. One presently available flotation device is a life vest. A life vest is essentially a vest to be worn on the torso of the user that has flotation members, such as foam or inflatable bladders incorporated into its design to improve the buoyancy of the wearer. There are some drawbacks to existing designs for life vests. Namely, they can be cumbersome to attach, because they typically involve some sort of strap that runs betweens the user's legs. They are oftentimes not esthetically pleasing because they do not match the user's swimsuit. In the case of girls or women, they are typically worn over the top portion of a bathing suit or swimsuit, adding an unnecessary additional layer of clothing, and serving to retain moisture within the top portion of the swimsuit after the user has exited the water.
In response to some of these disadvantages, buoyant swimwear has been developed that includes flotation members incorporated into a one-piece swimsuit. However, these one-piece buoyant swimsuits present some disadvantages of their own. Notably, in order to use the restroom, or change a diaper, the entire suit must be removed from a user. When a person is out of the water and does not need the flotation device, a one-piece swimsuit does not allow for the removal of the flotation portion of the suit.
Thus, there exists a need for buoyant swimwear that has improved characteristics.